The Future's Touch
by littlehouse4evr
Summary: With just one touch, Bella can see someone's entire future. Living in a city, it becomes too much, so she moves back to the place she was born in, Forks. She doesn't know why she has the power, so when she meets a certain golden-eyed group of vampires she may finally get the explanation she needs, and maybe fall in love at the same time...
1. Chapter 1

**The idea for this story, and the plot, belongs to gaara king of the sand. Thanks to them for letting me write this story! **

I step nervously out of my father's car, looking up at the small two story house. Having hated this place for years, it's hard for me to admit that I might be happier here than I was in Phoenix. But it's the truth, and it's all because of my power.

As I think of it I nervously tug the sleeves of my shirt over my hands. In Phoenix it was always too hot for gloves to be acceptable, but here it might be cold enough to wear them most of the time. I just need to buy them first, or borrow a pair from my dad. "You okay Bella?" Charlie asks, spying my nervous movements.

I smile slightly in response. "I'm fine." He doesn't know about my power; no one does.

Looking back up at the house, I think of what drove me here in the first place...

"Bella!" My mother called, "Your friend is here!"

I ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. My friend, Louise, was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs with my mother. We were going to the local cafe to talk before school on Monday. "Hi," I greeted her, and she grinned, pulling me into a hug. Before I could tug the sleeves of my cardigan over my hands, my palms made contact with the bare skin of her back, digging into the thin straps of her vest. I bit back a whimper as her entire life flashed before my eyes.

_For the next two years everything is fine, she goes through school and passes her exams with flying colours. At twenty years old she gets engaged to John Dawson, her current boyfriend. At twenty one her father dies of a heart attack. Just after she turns twenty two her mother kills herself. At twenty three she is diagnosed with lung cancer, and gets married a month later. She has one child just before she turns twenty four, and dies seven months later. _

She has seven years left. I blinked back tears as she pulled out of the hug. "Are you okay?" Louise asked, looking at me with worry.

"Fine," I answered, wiping my eyes. "Allergies."

My mother gave me a questioning look; I didn't have allergies. "Hay fever," I said to her, and she nodded. I had that when I was little, so it's a plausible excuse. "Let's go," I said after a moment, turning to Louise. She smiled, and waved to my mother before following me out the front door.

From what I've noticed with my power, is that when I see someone dying of an illness, there future seldom changes after that. The last time I saw her future, which was roughly a year ago, she died old with _great __grandchildren_ living down the road. She still married John, and he died only a week before her. The future changes as people grow up, depending on decisions. Sometimes I wish it would stay the same. In fact, I wish it would stay the same most of the time. Louise's future was happy before.

"Bella?" Louise's voice pulled me out of my reverie. "What would you like?"

I looked up at her and found myself in Starbucks. I didn't remember entering, or walking up to the cashier (who was John), but I answered her anyway. "Uh, hot chocolate please. I'll go find a table."

Walking over to an empty table for two, I looked up at Louise talking to John. The place was practically empty, so they weren't holding anyone up by standing there and talking. After a few minutes he stood up properly and went to make her coffee and my hot chocolate.

I got up to collect my drink, thinking that they would want to continue talking. "Sorry Bella," Louise said as I approached. "I'll come and sit with you."

"No no," I replied, smiling as John made her coffee. "It's fine. You guys continue talking if you want; I brought my laptop so I'll just do some homework."

"One hot chocolate," John grinned, handing it to me. I smiled back, but that that smile froze as our hands brushed against each other.

_His future is almost the same as Louise's. He finds out he's adopted, and then finds that both his parents killed themselves just after he was born. He comforts her through her ordeals, and looks after his son for months after he dies. But he can't live without her, so one day he drops his son off at his adoptive parents' house and then goes back home. He is found by his father a few hours later, hanging from the ceiling. _

He had eight years left. Again I blinked back tears, but not even ten seconds had passed since our hands brushed.

I _hate_ my power. I hate it.

I walked back over to my seat, sitting quietly and staring at the window, holding the cup in both my hands. It was almost unbearably hot, but I didn't put it down. Looking back at Louise and John, I smiled at the though that they'd have each other, at least, and that I know they will treat each other well. It's small moments like these that I am vaguely happy I was cursed with the power of seeing one's entire future with just one touch. At least it's contained to my palms.

My power is how I know my mother's new husband, Phil, is good for her. The first time I met him he shook my hand, and the way he died warmed my heart ever so slightly. He was lying in bed, asleep, with a picture of my mother on the table next to him. He was very old, and it was only because of that did he never wake up again.

But the picture of my mother worried me. In it, she didn't look much older than she does in the present. My mother's personality means that her future is ever changing. She changes her mind constantly, so hers and Phil's future flit between dying together, and dying very far apart.

"Hey Bella," Louise said as she sat in front of me. "Allergies?"

I wiped the tears away, nodding. "It's getting worse."

It's not true. I don't have hay fever anymore. My power is getting worse. I can't avoid the future anymore. The problem is, I can't see my own future, so it constantly feels like I'm too trapped in the futures of others to concentrate on my own. Maybe I need to set a new path for myself.

Living in a city didn't help. There were so many ways for someone to die. Drugs, alcohol, guns, gangs, murder, suicide... I needed to escape. "Hey Louise," I murmured, and my friend turned from the window. "I was thinking of moving in with my dad for a little while. I haven't seen him since the summer."

"Doesn't your dad live in Washington?"

"Yes."

"But it's so far away!"

"I know," I answered. "But he's my dad." I refrained from thinking about how she will only have her dad for about four more years at most. "I don't get to see him much anymore."

"That's not exactly your fault, Bella," Louise reminded me, and I barely contained a flinch. "You're the one who refused to visit him because you _hate_ that place."

_But I hate my power more, and I hate what I know about you._ "I know," I repeated, my tone holding no emotion. "I know."

"Have you spoken to your mother about this?" She asked, and her eyes widened when I shook my head. "Why not?"

"I just thought of it," I replied truthfully. "Just because I hate where he lives, it doesn't mean I hate _him._"

She sighed, looking at like I was mad. "But you understand that living with him means you have to live where he does? He's the chief of police, as much as I know he loves you, he can't just drop everything and live here with you."

"I know," I repeated for what felt like the tenth time. "I know I'd have to live there. But I don't see him much anymore, and I'd like to before senior year."

"So you're actually going to live there?" She leaned forward, but didn't lower her voice. John seemed to be staring at us. "Like, move schools and everything? In the _middle of the year_? You're going to leave your life, and your childhood behind you?"

"Yes," I answered with conviction. It would be worth it, if I could escape so many horrific deaths. In a small town, there can't be so many ways that someone could die. Hopefully there will be less gangs and drugs, especially with a chief of police looking after me. "I think it's worth it. He's getting old, who knows how much longer he'll be around."

Eleven years, to be exact. He dies of cancer. These things seldom change.

Louise paused for a moment. I waited for her answer. "Is this something you've been thinking about for a while?"

No. "Yes."

"Then I'll miss you," She whispered, tears in her eyes. "I'll really miss my crazy, selfless best friend who does my homework for me."

I laughed, wiping my own tears away. "It's not allergies this time," I told her. She grinned.

"I should hope you'd cry over leaving your life behind, you robot," Louise accused.

Laughing, I took her hand in mine. "If that's your way of telling me not to go, then it's not working."

"Damn," She said, in a sarcastic tone, chuckling through the tears. I stood and so did she. We hugged, and not a week later, we were saying goodbye.

When I spoke to my mother about it, she didn't understand. She hated Forks more than me, and considering she left Charlie because of that place, she didn't understand my desire to go there and see him, let alone live with him. Over and over again she tried to convince me not to go, only conceding when I said I would use my college fund to buy a plane ticket to get there. She wouldn't let that happen, so she bought the ticket for me. I would still have to spend my college fund on a car once I got there, but I didn't mention that.

"I'll miss you," She cried once we were in the airport, pulling me into a hug. I was still undecided, so when my palms made contact with the bare skin of her back I saw two different futures. If I stayed, I would witness her death as she fell down the stairs, as she's be staying at home with me while Phil was travelling. If I left, she would be travelling with Phil, and he would keep her safe.

That made my decision for me.

"I'll miss you too," I murmured into her shoulder, clinging onto her now that I had seen her future. "I'll really miss you."

"Then don't go," She tried to convince me again. I groaned, pulling out of the hug so I could look her in the eye.

"I miss dad too," I said forcefully. My mother frowned.

"But he hasn't been much of a father to you, Bella," She replied.

I was angry at that; as much as she wanted me to stay, that was hitting below the belt. "That's not his fault," I growled out, staring at her in defiance. "That's on us. You for leaving him, and me for not going back." My gate number sounded overhead, telling passengers for the _ten past twelve flight to Seattle_ _to please bored their flight_. "Bye," I said again. "I love you."

"I love you too," She whispered, waving to me as I walked away. Tears streamed down my face as I did. Maybe it wasn't worth it.

"Here you go," Charlie says, and I look up to find him holding my bags and holding the front door open for me. "Welcome home."

No one has ever said that to me before. Because of my mother's many different boyfriends, her house always felt more like a Bed and Breakfast rather than a home. "Home sounds nice," I said to my father, my voice truthful. I smiled, and stepped inside.

_Welcome to Forks, _I thought to myself.


	2. Chapter 2

**The idea for this story, and the plot, belongs to gaara king of the sand. Thanks to them for letting me write this story! Twilight belongs to SM.**

"You ready for your new school already, Bells?" Charlie asks as he trudges down the stairs to find me already awake and making him breakfast.

I shrug without a word, aware of his eyes on my back. "I wanted to make sure I was ready."

After serving him Charlie wolfs down his breakfast, says a quick goodbye to me and dashes out the door to go to work. I sigh before sliding the rest of my bacon and scrambled eggs into the bin. Truthfully, I want to get to school early and possibly hide for a little bit. If I'm there when it's practically empty then I'll get used to the crowds as they arrive.

Or at least I hope so.

Walking out the front door I stand in front of the almost angry looking red truck my dad bought me. He gave it to me last night, and even though it wasn't said I think it was from my dad's friends - the Blacks - as well. Billy Black's son, Jacob, is a lot... taller than I remember. Although, I haven't seen him for a few years.

Sighing, I decide to walk past the vehicle. I have no doubt the engine will be loud, as it's quite old. I don't want to draw too much attention to myself.

I want to be normal.

But that's impossible.

The school is further than I thought, and after a while my feet start to hurt. My gloved hands become hot and sweaty under the plain black fabric but I refuse to take them off.

I can be normal here, but only if I try to be.

When (finally) I can see the school, students are already crowding the place in dull coloured rain coats like blue, brown and black ants. A shiver runs down my spine as I stare at them. A lot of the girls look like... huggers. Ugh. The worst kind of people.

For me, anyway.

But despite my fear, I manage to slip unnoticed into the crowds; keeping my head down. Looking around I find myself glad I walked, despite the stickiness I can still feel coating my palms and my back, as most of the cars are similar. Old, rusty and beat up. But they're all cars, and almost always silver and black, a long way off from my faded red truck.

Just as the bell rings a shiny silver Volvo races into the lot, smoothly turning into a tiny space in one try. No one takes any notice but me, so it must at least a daily occurrence. I keep staring as everyone else files away to their lessons. I keep staring as the owners of the car climb out. The moment I see their faces, however, I look away.

They are breathtakingly and utterly beautiful. I only saw two boys and a blonde girl, but that was enough. They're clearly not normal, and I can't handle that. I need normal. They're the opposite of normal. No one looks like that. No one can drive like that.

I must stay away from them.

Once again looking at the ground, I hurry to the office to get my schedule. It's soon in my hands and I'm making my way to my first lesson. Maths. When I walk into the building all talking stops and everyone - literally _everyone -_ turns to look at me. Oh God... "I'm Bella Swan," I turn and say to the teacher with as much confidence as I can muster with at least twenty people tracking my every move. "I'm new."

The teacher gives a complacent sort of "Hmm." Before holding his hand out for my slip. I hand it over wordlessly and he signs it and gives it back in the same fashion. He then starts the lesson without guiding me to a seat, so I just stand there awkwardly until I spot a spare seat at the back. When I sit down I pull my gloves off quickly.

Bad idea.

"Hi, I'm Mike Newton," The blonde boy next to me says enthusiastically, grabbing my hand without asking and shaking it roughly. "You must be Isabella."

_He goes through high school, just barely escaping repeating senior year. Unfortunately he spends a lot of his time fawning over me, but I appear to be with the same group of people every time he looks over. Not enough decisions have been made to determin who those poeple are, though. After college, he marries Jessica Stanley and becomes an English teacher at this very school. When they're twenty five, Jessica gives birth to twin girls and is unable to have any more children. At fourty five years old he stays late at the office and on his way home gets killed by a drunk driver. _

I curse under my breath as he lets go of his hand. Another thing I _despise_ about my power is that whenever I meet someone new, I learn so many things about them that I have no right to know about. My own evasiveness disgusts me.

But what I really hate most it that there is no else like me.

"I'm Bella," I reply curtly, turning towards the teacher and his lecture.

Thinking over this Mike Newton's future I grin as I realise that this boy has potential for a very long life. There are so many decisions involving his death that anything could easily be changed. The man who kills him may decide not to drink that day. Mike might decide not to stay late at the office. Mike may not even become an English teacher.

He could be anything.

The lesson ends sooner than I think possible, and suddenly I'm sitting in History, still thinking about Mike's future. Maybe I'll find a way to change it myself. Maybe it won't change.

But it _might_.

No one really cares that I keep my gloves on for the rest of the day. In fact I see some others with gloves on too. Much more obvious gloves. Jessica Stanley (who is in my English class) way wearing fingerless white gloves with diamonds around the wrist.

I'm still grinning as I step into the cafeteria and sit down with Angela, a kind girl in my English class. For the first time in months, I find myself enjoying myself. I laugh with people, not just absently when I find them laughing at something I wasn't paying attention to. Finally, I have friends who I don't have to worry about dying in seven years. I'm happy.

But my smile fades as the people I last wanted to see stride almost inhumanely gracefully into the cafeteria. There is another boy and another girl this time.

It's _them._


	3. Chapter 3

**The idea and plot of this story belongs to gaara king of the sand. Thanks to them for letting me write this story! Twilight belongs to SM. **

I look away from the immediately, sinking low in my seat. "Are you okay?" Angela inquires, noticing my stressed expression. I nod my head without a word and then look back at _them_.

"Who are they?" I ask Angela, nodding to them. But it's Jessica who answers. Her expression is strange as she begins, looking jealous and in awe at the same time.

"They're the Cullens," She giggles, biting her lip as she looks over at them. Angela and I exchange a glance. "They're all incredibly hot, and all adopted. The parents are the same - minus the adopted part - but they don't really talk to people."

I nod, processing it. "That's nice of them, to take in so many children."

"Yes," Jessica agrees, but then her expression becomes haughty, her tone morphing to match. "But I don't think Mrs Cullen can have any children, though."

As if that lessened their kindness.

"And," She whispers, leaning forward conspiratorially. "They're all together. Like, _together_ together. Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett. It's weird."

"Only Rosalie and Jasper are blood related Jess, it's not incest," Angela comments, rolling her eyes. At my confused expression she leans forward and informs me,"Jasper and Rosalie are the blonds, uh, Alice is the little one and Emmett is the huge one."

I dare myself to look back at them again. Sure enough there are two blonds, one with an arrogant, yet slightly bored expression and one who looks like someone is digging a dagger into his knee under the table. The other two are there as well. A small excitable looking girl is bouncing in her seat, but still somehow seems to be watching Jasper out of the corner of her eye. Then, Emmett, who has the kind of appearance of someone who looks down on others, but also has the soft expression of someone who cares very deeply. Dazed by the man and his varying dispositions, I look away only to catch sight of another boy sitting at the table.

His hair is an odd shade of red, yet still brown. It's almost bronze, really. Even though he's turned slightly away from me, I can still make out the chiseled jaw and his dark eyes glinting against the harsh light. Someone giggles, and I turn to see Jessica grinning a Cheshire cat worthy grin at me. Angela (once again) rolls her eyes at her friend.

"That's Edward Cullen," Angela clarifies, nodding over to the boy in question.

"Completely single and gorgeous of course," Jessica adds, rather loudly I might add. "Although... Clearly none of the girls _here _are good enough for him."

Glacing back at the Cullen table, Edward is looking away from us, but his cheek appears lifted, as if he's smiling, but no one's talking.

As if, he _heard_.

My immediate thought is that he can't of, but looking down at my gloved hands I change my mind. Magical powers aren't meant to be possible... So what's supernatural hearing compared to that?

I look back over at them, and I find Edward staring at _me._ His expression is expectant, as if I'm meant to do or say something. Maybe he's expecting the new girl to throw herself at him.

Sorry to disappoint you, Cullen. Not going to happen.

The table becomes my new best friend for the rest of lunch. The Cullens aren't normal, far from it, so I must stay away from them. I don't doubt that anything is possible, but I exiled myself here for normality. I need to stay away from them.

Just as I'm being tempted to look back at the strange collection of teenagers, the bell rings. 'Saved by the bell!' I sing in my head, rising from my chair.

Mike leads me to biology as he shares it with me and Angela, who trails behind us slightly, her nose stuck in a text book. When we enter the room, there are only three seats left. "Woah," Mike breaths quietly. "I totally forgot. Guess you'll be sitting next to Cullen. Good luck."

I grimace as I walk towards the front of the class, watching out of the corner of my eye as Edward Cullen himself clears what will soon be my side of the desk.

So much for staying away from them.

As I near his desk I trip, catching myself on a desk; the girl sitting there giggles. Giving her a 'sorry' look, I continue to the front of the class. Glacing back at Edward as I hand Mr Banner my slip, I see him sat rigid in his chair, gripping the table tightly with one hand while the other one is clenched in a fist. I catch sight of Mike, suddenly thinking of his future. So much potential, I remind myself. But then... Louise. Seven years. Only seven years left.

Don't think about that.

Mr Banner hands me my slip back, and I thank him quietly before taking my time to sit next to Edward. Once I'm sat down he stiffens even more (is that even possible?) and glares at me with almost animalistic intensity. With fear written all over my face, I'm sure, I rip my eyes away from him. But not before I see him move his bare hands away from me as I set my gloves ones on the desk.

Oh dear God.

_He. Knows. _

No. I try and dispel the thought as quickly as it comes, but it's determined to stay put. Besides, what if it is true? What if he can read minds or something and just heard me thinking of my power? What if he thinks I like my power? I was just thinking of ways to manipulate Mike's future.

Or rather, his death.

Stop it, I command myself. Edward is still glaring at me, his black eyes glinting against the light. His hands are under the desk now...

_He knows. He knows. He knows He knows. _

He doesn't.

He does.

Oh my God.

It can't be that. Maybe he just has a really sensitive nose and I smell funny. Or maybe he has panic disorder and new people make him anxious. I mean, unless he can read minds or can somehow tell I have a power by looking at me... There's no way he could know.

Hah. Reading minds. What crap. As if.

His hands are back on the table. They're still quite far away from me, but at least he's not glaring at me. Instead he is staring ahead with unfocused eyes as if he's concentrating hard on something and it's causing him great pain. It's like this for the rest of the lesson, and every now and then I try and look at him through my hair as sneakily as I can. But even though he's not looking at me, I feel as though he somehow knows I'm looking at him; I always look away.

When the bell signals the end of the lesson, he's the first one out of his seat.

A shiver runs down my spine uncontrollably. Everyone else is packing their bags, giving me time to think. Maybe this is normal behaviour for the Cullens. Jessica did say they don't talk to people, and he's had the desk to himself almost all year. Maybe all the Cullens are like this...

Maybe it's normal. I hope so.

"Did you stab Cullen with a pencil or what?" Mike demands, appearing behind me.

Oh, so it not normal at all. Thanks a lot Mike, I did not need to know that.

Shrugging my reply we exit the classroom with Angela. Gym is next, but I don't have to change for it as it's my first day. The entire lesson turns out to be a lecture on the rules and places of basketball. But soon the hour is up and I'm entering the parking lot on my own. Sighing as I walk past the empty spot only one thought enters my mind.

The Volvo is already gone.

For a moment I look around for my car, and then remember the walk I made here. Gritting my teeth against the cold, even though not two feet away a group of boys are standing in t-shirts without coats, I button up my own coat and begin my journey home. It's just as grueling as the walk _to _school, and by the time I guess I'm half way home I swear a silver Volvo races past me, but it's going so fast that it's already out of sight by the time I register I saw it.

Charlie is already home by the time I step through the front door, and he's in front of me immediately. "What happened to you?"

"I walked to school," I grind out, still shivering slightly from the cold. "It's freezing."

He frowns for a moment before stepping into the open doorway behind me. A moment later he's back in front of me, having shut the front door softly. "It's not..." He murmurs as he takes in my buttoned-up coat and my still-gloved hands before smiling slightly. "Still used to Phoenix, hey Bells?"

"Well I only got here yesterday," I retort, smiling in spite of myself.

He reaches out and ruffles my hair. I cringe against it, but don't throw him off. "Go get some rest Bella."

"Okay," I mutter, making my way for the stairs. Once in my room I take off my shoes, my coat, and, finally, my gloves. The cool air hits the palms of my hands and I sigh in relief as they begin to cool down.

"Bella!" Charlie calls from downstairs. "I've been called into work! I might not be back in time for dinner, though, so don't wait for me!"

"Okay!" I call back. "Bye!"

I lie down on my old, creaky bed as I hear the front door shut downstairs. Resting my hands on my stomach I close my eyes. The silence is relaxing and I can feel myself drifting off to sleep...

And then the phone rings.

Groaning as I sit up, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed before reaching for the phone. "Hey mom," I murmur after looking at the caller ID and answering the phone.

"Hey sweetie, how are you?" She questions, and I can hear the smile in her voice. I can also hear Phil practicing batting in the background.

I nod silently. "I'm great."

"Is everyone treating you okay? How was school?" She sounds worried now, and I roll my eyes.

"Yes," I reply. "Everything's great. Everyone's really nice." Well, almost everyone. "Charlie's good."

"Is he there now?"

"No," I say, lying back down on my bed. "He just left for work."

She sighs, and I can practically hear her rolling her eyes. "He's always at work," She grumbles, and I sigh. It's one of the reasons she left him.

We talk for a little while longer before I hang up the phone. After eating I put the leftovers in the fridge for Charlie before I go upstairs, do my homework and go to bed. Charlie is already gone when I wake up in the morning.

I decide to walk to school again, as I'm unsure whether or not the truck will actually work, not that I'm doubting Jacob Black's mechanic skills. When the exertion begins to take it's toll and I can actually feel sweat beginning to drip down my face, I take my coat and gloves off. I'm alone on this road, and I doubt anyone driving past will want to stop and shake my hand for the fun of it.

"Hey Bella," Jessica greets me as I walk into the parking lot. She makes a grab for my bare hand as she does, however, and I cringe as her future flashes through my head.

_She easily gets through school, getting into the college she wants and then marrying Mike afterwards. She becomes an art teacher, finding her talent in drawing. At twenty five she has twin girls, and then later has a miscarriage and is unable to have children after that. After Mike is killed she moves to Chicago with her children and remarries. At eighty two years old, she dies of old age in her sleep. _

I can't suppress my smile as she drags me to her - our - friends. Mike greets me with enthusiasm and Tyler smiles at me. Lauren just rolls her eyes at me grabs Jessica's arm, dragging her away from me. She then starts talking about some perm one of the girls in the year got and how 'she looks like a poodle'. Jessica squeals at this.

"Hey Bella," Mike says, swinging an arm over my shoulders as I pull my gloves on. "Enjoying the rain?"

"It's not raining," I reply, looking up at the sky in confusion. But from the looks of it, it's not raining now, but it will soon.

Tyler shrugs, pushing Mike away from me. "Yeah, but it rains a lot here. It's his lame way of saying, how are you enjoying Forks?"

"It's alright," I mutter, stepping away from them. "But in Phoenix, there was more sun, and I kind of miss my mom."

"Yeah," Mike sighs, once again throwing an arm around me. I try and throw him off, but he just stays put. Like a really annoying puppy. "I get that."

"Stop trying to flirt with me," I mutter, and either he doesn't hear me, or just ignores me. I roll my eyes. "It's not working." Again, he doesn't seem to hear me, just steering me to our shared class as the bell rings across the lot.

At lunch my eyes sweep the room the moment I step into the cafeteria. At first glance I don't notice anything different, until I find the Cullens.

There are only four of them.

A sick feeling settles in my stomach. Edward wasn't sitting at the table, and to be honest I hadn't seen him at school all day. Maybe it didn't mean anything, though. He might have gone home ill (although, to be honest I can't imagine any of the Cullens being sick), or he might have come down with something over night and not been able to come to school. His dad's a doctor, so it might be a cold and his dad's being overly cautious, seeing too many things start with the symptoms of a cold and ending with death. Edward is very pale, they all are, so maybe they're all cancer patients or something and Edward's dead.

Okay, I'm getting ridiculous now, but what did I ever do to him?

"Bella?" Angela asks, nudging my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I squeak, and silently curse myself. "I'm just gonna get a water."

I get an apple as well as the water, though, sitting with my food and drink with my back to the Cullens. The others get into a comfortable conversation quickly, and I try to make it look like I'm listening, but after a while I lift the apple to take a bite. But as I do I notice Rosalie and Jasper Hale reflected in the shiny red surface of it. I can see Emmett and Alice as well, but their figures are blurrier as the apple curves. As I watch I see the blurry figures of Jasper and Emmett turn to me. Dropping the apple in surprise, I turn to the Cullen table to find the boys watching me curiously. Alice is grinning at something, biting her lip and looking down at the table. But Rosalie looks angry, and very, very dangerous.

I look away as I feel the sadness creeping across my features. Edward did run away because of me. _At least they're subtle about it_, I think, rolling my eyes.

The next day is very much the same. I take my gloves off on the walk to school and end up seeing Jessica's future again. Mike and Tyler and Eric, a boy from my maths class, try to flirt with me. Lessons are boring and at lunch the remaining four Cullens watch me. The guilt of chasing their brother away hits me again. This goes on for a few days. Almost a week, in fact.

But one day, as my eyes rake across the cafeteria, I spot the coppery red hair that can only mean one thing.

There are five Cullens at the table.

Swallowing my fear, I step over to the line forming to buy my food. "Are you alright, Bella?" Mike asks as the line moves but I don't. Angela nudges me forward. I almost fall flat on my face, but catch myself just in time. A booming laugh echoes across the cafeteria, and I look over just in time to see Emmett and Edward Cullen look away from me, laughing.

Huh. Subtle.

"I'm just gonna get a lemonade," I tell Mike, stepping away form him slightly to purchase the drink. "I guess I don't feel very well."

"You alright?" Angela asks as we sit down next to Jess and the others. Lauren sneers at me as I sit down. I resist the urge to punch her. People here just seem to hate me instantly.

"I'm fine," I reply quietly, sinking low in my seat. Jessica giggles suddenly.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," She whispers, grinning slightly, but I can see and hear the envy she tries to hide.

I bite my lip, avoiding meeting his eye. "He doesn't look angry does he?" I mutter, folding my shoulders forward and sinking even lower in my seat. My neck feels as though it's level with the top of the seat now.

"No," She replies, confused, but a bit of the envious tone disappears. Clearly I'm not much competition if the famous Edward Cullen and I don't get along. "Should he be?"

"I don't think he likes me very much," I admit, and she nods, her envy having completely disappeared.

"The Cullens don't like anybody," She tries to console me, but even I can see it's half hearted. "Or at least, they don't notice anybody enough to notice them... But he's still staring at you."

"Well stop looking at him!" I order, glaring at her slightly. She giggles again and complies.

The rest of lunch is uneventful, and I contemplate leaving an skipping biology. I don't want to face Edward. I don't want to face any of the Cullens. But in the end I find myself making my way to biology with Mike and Angela. Taking my seat next to him, I avoid looking at the man who could ruin my time here. Who could ruin my normal life. My _almost_ normal life.

"Hello," He says quietly, formally, after the lecture ended and everyone began setting up the practical. I had done this practical before, and so I was already bored. "My name is Edward Cullen."

I wonder why he introduced himself. Surely he is aware of Jessica's obsession with him. Surely he has seen me with her, and knows we're friends... kind of. Surely I'd know his name by now.

Which I do, and his entire families'.

"I didn't a chance to introduce myself last week," He continues. _Yes you did, but you were too busy pretending I'm the devil, _I correct in my mind. "You must be Bella Swan."

"How do you know my name?" I demand. This is another sign he's not normal. I wonder how he'll get around it.

"Oh, I should think everyone knows your name," He replies "The whole town has been waiting on your arrival."

He's good, but not good enough. "No," I say, cocking my head in fake confusion. "You called me Bella. Everyone else called me Isabella, and I think that's what my dad calls me behind my back."

"Ah," He stutters, nodding and looking away, clearly uncomfortable.

Bella one, Edward zero.

I'm not entirely sure why I'm doing this, calling him out on the less obvious things that separate him from the rest of the human race. He just makes me angry, somehow. He is just like me in some ways, trying to be normal when he so clearly isn't. But in other ways it angers me, as I'm sure if people found out his secret they wouldn't care, just because of his looks, whatever his secret is. If they found out my secret though...

I'd probably be dissected.

"Begin," Mr Banner tells us, and I hear some people groan before starting the practical. Chuckling, I snap in the first slide and quickly look into the microscope.

"Prophase," I say confidently, and as I look up at him I notice something else different.

"May I?" He asks, leaning forward to move the microscope in front of him. Clearly he doesn't trust my judgement.

"Swan!" Mr Banner calls suddenly. "You're not outside, gloves off."

I curse under my breath, and slowly remove the gloves. I had done well in hiding the fact I kept them on from Mr Banner over the past few days, but today I was too distracted.

Damn you Edward.

I look over to see him smirking as he writes on the sheet. Looks like I was right, the word _Prophase _ written in the top box proves that. As I watch he snaps another slide in place, and looks into the microscope. "Did you get contacts?" I ask, hoping to catch him off guard. He looks up in shock, gold eyes meeting brown ones.

The thing is, almost a week ago it was black eyes meeting brown ones.

"No," He says after a moments hesitation, looking confused, clearly wondering why I asked.

"Oh," I mutter, looking down at the table, trying to act surprised. "I guess I thought I saw something different."

"Oh," He mimics me, and as I look over I can tell he's berating himself.

Bella two, Edward zero. Ha.

I pull the microscope towards me after he says his answer out loud. Anaphase, apparently, although I don't have any doubt that he's right. I hate that.

He is right, and I hold my hand for the next slide. He hands it to me, but as he does our hands brush. I'm not wearing my gloves.

I freeze as I look into his future.


End file.
